The blinding sun belied the bitterly cold temperature early Saturday morning.
Some streets still had not been adequately plowed and the windchill was subzero at 9 a.m., but that did not stop people from crowding into an Ankeny Public Library conference room on Jan. 20. Volunteers scrambled to find extra chairs for the crowd that spilled into the massive lobby, and the public braved cold blasts of air every time the doors opened. But their full attention was on the stories shared about the positive impact Area Education Agencies have made on their neighbors’ lives and community. “I have only been in legislature this year and I have received thousands of letters — not one is in support of this bill” Rep. Molly Buck told the crowd.
There are thousands of similar stories across our great state. This and the number of times the executive branch story has changed regarding the overhaul of the AEA system beg the questions: why is this happening? And which experts were consulted?
Let’s all take a collective deep breath and hit pause for a moment. Since when did the voices of Iowans with years of training and valuable experiential knowledge become drowned out by bureaucrats with little subject matter expertise? It is time our executive branch reestablish relationships with exiled experts. In order for all Iowans to have freedom to flourish, we must build systems that don’t cause them undue burden. Or in this case, not destroy the system that is serving them well.
In the past year, major changes were made to programs serving Iowans. Medicaid eligibility and boards that protect our health and safety are just a couple causalities of destructive overhauls. The word “modernize” now has become synonymous with chaos, inefficiency, and fiscal irresponsibility.
Al Womble of the AFL-CIO spoke about the positive downstream impact appropriate and timely services can have on families as well as on greater society. “Because of the assistance of AEA my daughter went from a full-time supported classroom to a mainstream classroom. She has a driver’s license, has had a job for 10 years, has received a couple promotions, and is now working on a college degree in IT. She Is a productive member of society. The former athlete became emotional. “My daughter has had a full life thanks to heartland AEA.”
The vast majority of us don’t like to overpay for services or programs. But where are the data to support the notion that the changes that we have endured in the past year are saving Iowans money? So far we have seen confusion, the potential for more administrative costs due to bureaucratic hurdles, inefficient approval and information processes, and fewer Iowans being served.
Had the original proposal moved forward, the consequences would have been dire for some families. ”In rural Iowa there is not access, so a child has to be removed from school one day every week and drive four hours to get service, how does that effect their education?” Rep. Buck asked. And this is assuming the family has a car, can afford gas, and can get time off work.
Ami Chounlamany knows firsthand the importance of AEA in rural areas. “As a teacher my AEA team members were invaluable to me, as well as throughout my career. The rural population would not have access to support and education in the early years if it were not for the AEA.” She also is a parent of a child who is a success story due to AEA services. “My daughter struggled with reading in 3rd to 5th grades and was placed with an IEP in large part due to the support of our local AEA Consultants.”
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As far as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Condition of the State accusation that AEA’s are “becoming top-heavy organizations with high administrative costs,” a lot of infrastructure is needed to support the vast needs of Iowan students. An AEA expert spoke Jan. 20 about some of this infrastructure, “Administrators recruit and supervise subject matter experts — I truly don’t know how Department of Education will do this. Technology and cybersecurity — rural districts don’t have anyone to do this. We have van drivers who get things between school districts. Things that they are not thinking about, and the governor is not thinking about- they will be gone and people will wonder where they are. We have purchasing staff — they negotiate costs down so that all districts get cheaper food, technology, and materials in media centers. When they come into homes with books and equipment — we have people who get those items so they can be distributed to families. Printing and graphic design — they are at lower cost — this will be unreasonable in the private sector. Over a thousand people across the state will lose their jobs.”
A teacher from Ankeny addressed Reynolds' comment that AEAs have grown too much "beyond their core mission of helping students with disabilities.” The teacher addressed those gathered somberly, ”AEA has grown with needs of schools — how are we going to handle the implementation of new requirements?”
The growing need was sadly underscored when a participant brought up the tragic Perry school shooting. Rep. Buck responded “When that tragedy happened in Perry, the organization that was there, that wrote their reentry plan to school, it was the AEA. Perry was in the midst of horrible trauma, to expect their teachers and administrators to write a plan about how to bring people back to a building where people were shot … Kevin [an AEA employee] — will be in Perry when it reopens in case teacher has a breakdown, and they will step in. Helping a school recover and reopen — the Department of Education will not be doing that. It is ridiculous to think they will be able to. The deadlines in this bill are ridiculous. AEA staff are the boots on the ground beside teachers.”
It is hard to say where the dust will settle on the question of the AEA structure. But let’s work together to stop these demolitions to our public systems in the false pretense of government efficiency.
Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com
www.thegazette.com
Some streets still had not been adequately plowed and the windchill was subzero at 9 a.m., but that did not stop people from crowding into an Ankeny Public Library conference room on Jan. 20. Volunteers scrambled to find extra chairs for the crowd that spilled into the massive lobby, and the public braved cold blasts of air every time the doors opened. But their full attention was on the stories shared about the positive impact Area Education Agencies have made on their neighbors’ lives and community. “I have only been in legislature this year and I have received thousands of letters — not one is in support of this bill” Rep. Molly Buck told the crowd.
There are thousands of similar stories across our great state. This and the number of times the executive branch story has changed regarding the overhaul of the AEA system beg the questions: why is this happening? And which experts were consulted?
Let’s all take a collective deep breath and hit pause for a moment. Since when did the voices of Iowans with years of training and valuable experiential knowledge become drowned out by bureaucrats with little subject matter expertise? It is time our executive branch reestablish relationships with exiled experts. In order for all Iowans to have freedom to flourish, we must build systems that don’t cause them undue burden. Or in this case, not destroy the system that is serving them well.
In the past year, major changes were made to programs serving Iowans. Medicaid eligibility and boards that protect our health and safety are just a couple causalities of destructive overhauls. The word “modernize” now has become synonymous with chaos, inefficiency, and fiscal irresponsibility.
Al Womble of the AFL-CIO spoke about the positive downstream impact appropriate and timely services can have on families as well as on greater society. “Because of the assistance of AEA my daughter went from a full-time supported classroom to a mainstream classroom. She has a driver’s license, has had a job for 10 years, has received a couple promotions, and is now working on a college degree in IT. She Is a productive member of society. The former athlete became emotional. “My daughter has had a full life thanks to heartland AEA.”
The vast majority of us don’t like to overpay for services or programs. But where are the data to support the notion that the changes that we have endured in the past year are saving Iowans money? So far we have seen confusion, the potential for more administrative costs due to bureaucratic hurdles, inefficient approval and information processes, and fewer Iowans being served.
Had the original proposal moved forward, the consequences would have been dire for some families. ”In rural Iowa there is not access, so a child has to be removed from school one day every week and drive four hours to get service, how does that effect their education?” Rep. Buck asked. And this is assuming the family has a car, can afford gas, and can get time off work.
Ami Chounlamany knows firsthand the importance of AEA in rural areas. “As a teacher my AEA team members were invaluable to me, as well as throughout my career. The rural population would not have access to support and education in the early years if it were not for the AEA.” She also is a parent of a child who is a success story due to AEA services. “My daughter struggled with reading in 3rd to 5th grades and was placed with an IEP in large part due to the support of our local AEA Consultants.”
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As far as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Condition of the State accusation that AEA’s are “becoming top-heavy organizations with high administrative costs,” a lot of infrastructure is needed to support the vast needs of Iowan students. An AEA expert spoke Jan. 20 about some of this infrastructure, “Administrators recruit and supervise subject matter experts — I truly don’t know how Department of Education will do this. Technology and cybersecurity — rural districts don’t have anyone to do this. We have van drivers who get things between school districts. Things that they are not thinking about, and the governor is not thinking about- they will be gone and people will wonder where they are. We have purchasing staff — they negotiate costs down so that all districts get cheaper food, technology, and materials in media centers. When they come into homes with books and equipment — we have people who get those items so they can be distributed to families. Printing and graphic design — they are at lower cost — this will be unreasonable in the private sector. Over a thousand people across the state will lose their jobs.”
A teacher from Ankeny addressed Reynolds' comment that AEAs have grown too much "beyond their core mission of helping students with disabilities.” The teacher addressed those gathered somberly, ”AEA has grown with needs of schools — how are we going to handle the implementation of new requirements?”
The growing need was sadly underscored when a participant brought up the tragic Perry school shooting. Rep. Buck responded “When that tragedy happened in Perry, the organization that was there, that wrote their reentry plan to school, it was the AEA. Perry was in the midst of horrible trauma, to expect their teachers and administrators to write a plan about how to bring people back to a building where people were shot … Kevin [an AEA employee] — will be in Perry when it reopens in case teacher has a breakdown, and they will step in. Helping a school recover and reopen — the Department of Education will not be doing that. It is ridiculous to think they will be able to. The deadlines in this bill are ridiculous. AEA staff are the boots on the ground beside teachers.”
It is hard to say where the dust will settle on the question of the AEA structure. But let’s work together to stop these demolitions to our public systems in the false pretense of government efficiency.
Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com
Opinion: AEA latest victim to malignant realignment
The Iowa State Capitol Building is pictured in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The blinding …
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